Enhanced Partnership with Benenden School

Last week, Benenden Schools Guangzhou was delighted to welcome a distinguished delegation from our partner, Benenden School in the UK.

Leading the visit was Benenden School's Headmistress, Ms. Rachel Bailey, on her second trip to BBSG. She was accompanied by Mr. Matt Commander, Director of International and Strategic Projects; Dr. Lisa McNally, Academic and International Courses Coordinator and a new member of our collaborative team; and three experienced teachers from Benenden.

This visit marked the most comprehensive exchange between the two schools to date, featuring engaging dialogue with families from the Greater Bay Area and meaningful interactions with BBSG's academic community. The outcomes proved particularly inspiring.

Headmistress's Perspective:

A Complete Education in Action

As the pioneer of A Complete Education for over a century, Benenden School has consistently upheld this core philosophy throughout its history. 

Ms. Bailey emphasised that A Complete Education extends beyond academic achievement to nurture resilience, confidence, and leadership within students. She shared how Benenden students have not only achieved record-breaking A-Level results but also excelled in areas driven by their passions. This success recently earned Benenden the title of "Best Sixth Form in the UK", demonstrating that academic excellence and holistic development can go hand in hand - true evidence of A Complete Education model.

Visiting class activities

Exchanging ideas with BBSG parents in person

Throughout their busy schedule, Ms. Bailey and Mr. Commander immersed themselves in BBSG's educational environment - engaging with parents on the possibilities of differentiated learning and benchmarking collaborations, experiencing vibrant classroom dynamics, and visiting the newly opened Benenden Kindergarten Guangzhou. Let's hear from Ms. Bailey:

A Fresh Perspective:

Strengthening Our Partnership

A key addition to our collaborative team was Dr. Lisa McNally, an Oxford University graduate and English teacher at Benenden for over a decade. In her new role coordinating academic and international courses, she previously hosted the first group of BBSG exchanging students and teachers in the UK.

Dr. McNally and Dr. Edwards sharing insights on the Student Exchange Programme and global learning with GBA families on BBSG Experience Day

During her visit, Dr. McNally also observed classes and familiarised herself with BBSG's student development programme and tutor system, seeking inspiration for future exchanges.

Coinciding with her visit, five Benenden students arrived at BBSG for the 2025-26AY Student Exchange Programme. In January, ten Year 7-8 students and five Year 10-11 students from BBSG will travel to the UK, marking the first time that the Student Exchange Programme is open to BBSG Senior Secondary.

First Onsite Teacher Exchange:

Exploring Innovation in Academics and Pastoral Care

The Teacher Exchange Programme welcomed Ms. Carrie Collins (Head of Diploma and KS3 English), Ms. Alisha Fordham (Head of Chemistry), and Ms. Kay Price (Housemistress) to the BBSG campus for the first time - each bringing their expertise in academic leadership, sciences, and Pastoral Care. Their engagement with BBSG colleagues fostered rich professional dialogue and mutual learning.

We saw how BBSG uses data to track student progress and were truly amazed by how rapidly the students are making accelerated progress in such a short period of time.

- Ms. Collins

There has already been a lot of resource sharing and collaboration this week. For instance, we have arranged for six Benenden students to join the BBSG iGEM team for collaborative projects in November.

- Ms. Fordham

I have learned a great deal from observing BBSG's boarding house so I can think about how to support our overseas boarders. The strength of the relationships between students and with teachers is what makes Benenden's boarding experience special. The students have a strong voice here, which enhances their sense of safety, belonging, and ownership within the boarding house. This is an aspect we can genuinely share between the two schools.

- Ms. Price

As Mr. Commander said, "Education fundamentally relies on the connections between people, which is evident in our teachers' professional interactions. Both schools gain insights from each other's practices, benefiting students through this mutually enriching partnership."

In an ever-evolving educational landscape, both BBSG and Benenden remain committed to A Complete Education, continually adapting the model to meet future challenges.

For BBSG students, this partnership offers expanded international perspectives through exchange programmes, enhanced educational resources via teacher collaboration, and global growth opportunities - enabling each individual to pursue their passions within a balanced framework of academic excellence and Complete development.